Another Successful Bag

Just a quick post of my third Chris W Designs Lombard Street bag. I'm so pleased with how this turned out as I did a few tweaks including making the sides rectangles rather than curved and it mad it so much easier to sew! I did break two needles though as I used different zips which had chunky metal ends (usual supplier was away)

I think it's time to find a new pattern now to try out and challenge myself!

Simple Birthday Card Using Cricut Mini

I needed to make birthday card and thought I'd use up some of my Kaisercraft scrapbook papers. For the below cards I only used one sheet of 12 x 12 (polkadot on one side and floral on the other) so it didn't use a lot (the cards are A6 size). The scrapbook paper worked really well in the Cricut Mini too.

Simple yet effective cards.

Kitten Scrap Book Page

I've not really been hugely into scrapbooking however after getting a Smash book for my holiday to Florida I got another Smash book and decided to make a page about our new kittens. So I could get the most out of the pages in the book I made the below page using CraftArtist 2 and printed it to the right size so I could stick it in as the front page (which is usually blank).

I usually use Craft Artist for cards and loved using it for scrapbooking as you can size the images to the correct size for the page, rather than printing out the photos and then having to cut them or squeeze them on the page (which I did with my Florida pictures in my other book). I also like that you can move things around an resize them easily and don't have to move them again to stick them (as you do with manual scrapbooking)

I love Craft Artist as it is so versatile and much prefer it than any other digital crafting as you can manipulate everything rather than just print out PDFs etc.

I can't wait to add more to my scrap book, a mix of digital pages printed and others I'll manually do.

Fun with distress inks and stamps

I've always been quite a clean crafter, ie minimal stamping and just colouring with my Spectrum Noirs, however I always wanted to get some distress inks and after buying some in America I seem to be using them a lot around the edges of my card layers. A few weeks ago I found myself bored in the study and just started playing with a brayer, distress inks and some stamps and made the below which are very different to my normal style but loved how they turned out. The oriental stamps were a free gift with a stamping magazine and the 'home' stamps were from the Kirstie Allsopp range at Hobbycraft

Using stamps from the Kirstie Allsopp range at Hobbycraft

Craft Room Redecoration

I've not posted any craft bits on here for a little while as I redecorated my craft room, helped my husband build and decorate a MAME (an arcade machine) and then got two little kittens, Chill & Pepper.

 

 After covering my computer table with Fablon and finding it so easy, I covered my craft table too and added some shelving and storage.

Before (once all my craft bits had been removed so I could sand it)

After covering the table with Fablon.

Having the Falon has made my table easier to clean and it looks quite funky! It only cost £9 to do (less than one roll of Fablon) 

I'll be adding some more posts soon with cards and craft bits I've made (while the kittens sleep!)

Chi Chi Memories Hip Hop Girl

Chi Chi Memories have this great little digi this month called Hip Hop girl. 

Rather than make a card I decided to make a gift bag that could be used for a goodie bag full of sweets or a small gift.

I started by getting a gift bag up on on my computer using Craft Artist 2 and decorating it adding in the digi stamp where I wanted it. I printed this on Centura Pearl card (so it was glittery) and then printed out the digi on it's own as in order to colour with Spectrum Noirs you need to print in grey scale or the ink bleeds with the Spectrum Noirs. I put together to bag following the instructions on the print out which was mega easy. I then coloured the greyscale Hip Hop girl with Spectrum Noirs and cut her out and stuck her to the bag. I finished with some organza ribbon. 

I hope you enjoy! 

Comic Book Laptop Table

Yesterday I went on a trip to Homebase for some shelving (hubby is sorting out the second bedroom ahead of making an arcade machine). While going round Homebase I found the sold Fablon in some lovely patterns including a Comic Book style. I wanted it but wasn't sure what for but then thought it would look good on my craft table as it's in need of attention and also thought it would look great on my laptop table so brought 2 rolls. 

It was so easy to apply and as my laptop table was uncoated all I needed to do was wash it before applying. 

I love how it came out and will be applying it to my wooden desk shortly (after removing everything from it and sanding it) 

The Fablon was only £8.99 per roll (2 metres long each) so is a great way of reinventing furniture.